The Bakarwal Beauty

The wonders of the hidden nomad community of Kashmir barely catch the eye of the public, despite their rich culture and the bountiful fraternity existing amongst them. As time goes on, it becomes a diligent duty to acknowledge their efforts and applaud these Indian wayfarers.

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Let’s think about the word - Kashmir. What comes to your brain? In all likelihood, an image of conflict, border issues, armed men and the India-Pakistan border issue starts to make its rounds in your minds. Of course, that is accompanied by the image of spectacular mountains and widespread snowfall throughout the region. However, rarely will your imagination summon a vision of weary nomads grazing day and night to sustain their livelihood.

This is the story of those very nomads, more commonly known as the Bakarwal Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. Kept socially and economically distanced due to their withdrawn state of living, the Bakarwal tribe first immigrated into the area in 1127 - 1154 AD and settled themselves in the bountiful mountains. Currently, they have procured the regions of Rajouri, Poonch, Anantnag, Udhampur, Kupwara, and Srinagar. Their lives are surrounded by flocks of sheep and goats; even the title ‘Bakarwal’ literally refers to taking care of one’s sheep and goats. Such is the zeal they possess for their lifestyle. As nomads, they’re hardly the ones to sit around. Consequently, they have established the Pir Panjal range and Hindukush as their area of demarcation for rearing. The lifestyle they inhibit is also one that deserves admiration on its own.

Like the diligent ants working all year round, the Bakarwals too, exert themselves throughout the four seasons. They advance towards the Himalayas during mid-April and July. Thereafter, they span around in the lush, green pastures and accumulate sources for their livelihood. It sounds beautiful, yet it makes you break a sweat by merely reading about it. Their commitment to their art is commendable, especially in the face of the modern capitalist markets. They stick to their traditions of practicing nomadic culture like glue and further hand over it to future generations, like a legacy to be kept alive. A matter rather delightful worth noting is- traditions run endlessly in the Bakarwal community, and just like nomadic traditions, these are also often passed down as heritage.

A core part of their identity is being a Sunni Muslim and thus, a lot of their traditions coincide with those who practice Islamism. The community celebrates festivals like Baisakhi and keeps a regular fast during the period of Ramadan. They have also inculcated the habit of reading the Namaz five times a day and converging to celebrate opportune occasions like marriage, ceremonies, and so on. Not only that but the Bakarwal community sets upon an example of unity and cooperation by assembling Kabillas and Deras units, each with its own Mukaddam (leader). It’s a wonder how such a minuscule community has managed to collectively organize themselves and achieved the goal to become a tower of strength.

We can’t really put the seal on the story of Bakarwals without introducing its intricate fashion and how it has impacted women across the country. Clad in heavy, sliver jewelry, the Bakarwal women assert influence. The Bakarwal jewelry holds a certain gravity. The extent of its notability range from determining the marital status of a girl to upholding the longtime tradition of protecting one from ‘nazar’. The women can often be seen sporting heavy jhumkas, a crown called chonk phool, bangles dangling from their hands, and nose rings of varying sizes. It won’t be a stretch to say; that the Bakarwal ornamental culture is constantly in the process of being imitated, but how can one ever accomplish that without acknowledging the beauty of these women, their nomadic history, their diligence, and the sheer culture that runs through their vein.